August 2009 Archives

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Kicking another page off the sports calendar while also wondering which song best represents the ninth month of the year: Earth, Wind and Fire's "September" or Neil Diamond's "September Morn":

-Not sure whether a sad or celebratory song is called for with news of Tedy Bruschi's retirement.

Celebratory, because Bruschi's is the classic tale of a great guy making good. The longtime heart of the Patriots defense squeezed every last bit out of his ability. Along with Troy Brown, nobody better exemplified what the Pats were all about during their magical run atop the NFL.

Other than his father's death, I've never seen Bill Belichick more emotional, with New England's coach repeating over and over again how number-54 always "did the right thing." That right there should tell you all you need to know about Bruschi the player and the man.

Sad, because yet another link to the Patriots dynasty is gone. It's no coincidence that the defense's playoff performance has steadily declined as proven winners like Roman Phifer, Ted Johnson, Willie McGinest and Ty Law moved on. Now, an already questionable unit enters 2009 without a trio of veterans who may have played an even bigger role in New England's success: Rodney Harrison, Mike Vrabel and Bruschi.

No doubt all three were a shell of their former selves. But there's also very little doubt their presence will be missed as a young defense seeks to forge its own identity while carrying Super Bowl aspirations on its shoulders.

-Speaking of shoulders, I'm not overly concerned about the health of Tom Brady's. Brady will likely play opening day, though how much of an injury he sustained and how much it hampers him throughout the year remains to be seen.

No, I'm more concerned with how healthy Brady's relationship with the karma gods is. Let's face it. The guy led a pretty charmed life for a while. I mean, when things are going so well you can upgrade from a beautiful Hollywood starlet to a world famous supermodel, you have to figure some kind of Faustian bargain is at play. And as happens in any deal with the devil, the chips get called in at some point.

A subpar Super Bowl performance against the Giants, a season ending knee injury in his very next appearance on a football field and an unlucky landing on his right throwing wing just three exhibition games into the comeback seem to indicate a balancing of the luck scale is in progress.

Perhaps I'm a superstitious fool, or simply the latter, but I vividly remember when after 30-years, Lucky the Leprechaun deserted the Celtics for nearly three decades. One has to wonder if the same strange forces are at play with Tom Brady.

-Lastly, as the Patriots search for a legitimate backup to Brady, here's hoping their efforts land A.J. Feeley, the longtime Eagles backup who doesn't appear to have a home now that Michael Vick has landed in the City of Brotherly Love.

That's the view from here...how do you see things?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Everyone's hopes, dreams, wishes and aspirations were based on one thing: losing.

Losing day after day game after game. Losing big, and losing on purpose if necessary. Just keep losing in order to secure Greg Oden. That's what the Boston Celtics faithful were focused on in 2006-07.

Well, the Celtics went a different way, and the NBA still waits for Oden to announce his presence with authority (shameless Bull Durham reference).

"This is going to be a big year," he told the Indianapolis Star. "Everybody comes in and has that first year, that get-used-to-the-league year. But you have to break out in your second year. You have to, and that's what I'm looking forward to."

Oden, who stands 7-feet tall and weighs 285 pounds, played one year at Ohio State, missing the first seven games of the season after wrist surgery. He still garnered a laundry list of awards which included being named to the 2007 Wooden All-American Team, NABC Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten and Associated Press All-American.

His first pro season got wiped out because of a right knee injury. He sat out the entire 2007-08 season following microfracture surgery in September of 2007.

Last season, Oden appeared in 61 games (39 starts). A swollen left knee sidelined Oden from mid-February to mid-March after he bumped legs with Golden State's Corey Maggette during a game.

He posted averages of 8.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He averaged 5.0 points, and 4.3 rebounds in 16 minutes per game in Portland's six playoff games.

The potential that had Celtics fans clamoring hasn't quite been realized yet, but Oden apparently remains optimistic that he can start making good on all that promise.

"I definitely have to show them that I'm here, and that I am the guy you guys drafted," Oden told The Star.

Jonathan Papelbon came on to pitch the ninth. The Jays loaded the bases with one out on bloop singles by Overbay and Vernon Wells and a pitch that hit Randy Ruiz. Papelbon reared back and struck out Barajas on three pitches and then fanned rookie Travis Snider to end it. Red Sox pitchers fanned 17 batters in the game. The victory went to Hideki Okajima (5-0).

Following a 49-minute rain delay in the top of the eighth, the Red Sox pushed across the go-ahead run in the bottom of the inning. Lefthander Brian Tallet came in to pitch to Ortiz and walked him. Shawn Camp took over and struck out Bay but surrendered a double to J.D. Drew that put runners at second and third. Following an intentional walk to Varitek that loaded the bases, Casey Kotchman pinch hit for Gonzalez and yanked a ball into the hole between first and second that first baseman Lyle Overbay knocked down and turned into a force at second as Ortiz scored to put the Red Sox in front 5-4.

Rookie Daniel Bard came in to pitch for the Red Sox in the seventh inning with the score still tied 5-5 and retired all three batters he faced without allowing a fair ball, striking out Randy Ruiz and Barajas with 100-mph fastballs. But even more impressive was the 85-mph curveball he threw to Barajas earlier in the at-bat. An 85-mph curveball? That's faster than Jamie Moyer's fastball!

The Red Sox wasted little time in tying the score again in the bottom of the fifth. Victor Martinez led off with a single, and two outs later Jason Bay hit an 0-and-2 pitch from Richmond off the same spot Barajas had hit for his 29th homer, making it 5-5.

The longball bit Beckett again in the fifth, moments after the Red Sox had battled back to tie the game. Lyle Overbay led off with a double, and Beckett retired the next two hitters. But Rod Barajas blasted his 14th homer off the Sports Authority sign above the Monster Seats, putting the Jays back on top 5-3.

The Red Sox tied it in the fourth off Scott Richmond. Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz opened the inning with singles, putting runners at first and third. After Jason Bay looked at a third strike, J.D. Drew ripped an RBI single to right and sent Ortiz around to third, from where he scored on a sacrifice fly by Jason Varitek, cutting Toronto's lead to 3-2.
Alex Gonzalez kept the rally going with a single, and then the Red Sox caught a tough break on Jacoby Ellsbury's blast into the center-field triangle. Instead of being a two-run triple that would have put the Red Sox ahead, the ball took a high bounce into the stands for a ground-rul double, forcing Gonzalez to go back to third. Dustin Pedroia then struck out to leave the score knotted 3-3.

The Blue Jays took advantage of some uncharacteristic wildness by Josh Beckett to grab a 3-0 lead in the second inning. With two outs Beckett walked the No. 9 hitter, .233-hitting Jose Bautista, and then walked Marco Scutaro. After getting ahead of Aaron Hill 1-and-2, Beckett served up a curveball that the Toronto second baseman whacked into the Monster Seats for his 31st homer of the year. It was the 11th homer surrendered by Beckett in his last four starts after allowing just 10 previous homers all season and none in his previous 47 2/3 innings before the rash of longballs began.

The starting lineups for tonight's game between the Blue Jays and Red Sox:
Blue Jays
Marco Scutaro, ss
Aaron Hill, 2b
Adam Lind, lf
Lyle Overbay, 1b
Vernon Wells, cf
Randy Ruiz, dh
Rod Barajas, c
Travis Snider, rf
Jose Bautista, 3b
Scott Richmond, rhp
Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, cf
Dustin Pedroia, 2b
Victor Martinez, 1b
Kevin Youkilis, 3b
David Ortiz, dh
Jason Bay, lf
J.D. Drew, rf
Jason Varitek, c
Alex Gonzalez, ss
Josh Beckett, rhp

Wakefield departed after seven innings with a 2-1 lead, having thrown 73 of his 94 pitches for strikes while allowing six hits and one walk and very few well-hit balls. But reliever Ramon Martinez wasted no time in assuring Wakefield that he would not get a victory in his return from the DL. Scott Podsednik, pinch hitting for Jayson Nix, led off the eighth with his fifth homer of the season, a shot into the Red Sox bullpen that tied the game at 2-2. Ramirez leads the Red Sox relief corps in the dubious category of blown leads and ties with six. No one else has more than four.
Ramirez then walked Beckham, who stole second with one out and moved to third on a groundout by Konerko. Terry Francona lifted Ramirez and brought in righthanded rookie Daniel Bard to face lefthanded Jim Thome and his 564 career homers, even though Bard had given up runs in four straight games and five of his last six, allowing eight runs -- including three homers -- in 5 2/3 innings. But Bard fanned Thome on three pitches to keep the game tied.

The Red Sox broke a 1-1 stalemate in the sixth when light-hitting shortstop Alex Gonzalez led off with his second homer in four days, tomahawking a 3-and-2 pitch from Floyd into the Monster Seats. They threatened to score more after Floyd backed off the mound after feeling something wrong following a pitch to Dustin Pedroia. He stayed in the game but gave up a single to Pedroia and then walked Victor Martinez. Kevin Youkilis moved Pedroia to third with a long fly to center, the second out of the inning. Ortiz tried to put down a bunt single against the shift but fouled off the pitch, then struck out to end the inning.

The Red Sox evened the score in the second when David Ortiz lofted a Gavin Floyd pitch into the Monster Seats for his 21st homer of the season, making it 1-1.

The White Sox nicked Tim Wakefield for a run right away. Gordon Beckham beat out an infield dribbler with one out and scored on a two-out triple into the center-field triangle by lumbering first baseman Paul Konerko.

The Red Sox activated knuckleballer Tim Wakefield from the disabled list before tonight's game and designated journeyman reliever Enrique Gonzalez for assignment. Wakefield is tonight's scheduled starter against the White Sox.
The starting lineups:
White Sox
Jayson Nix, 2b
Gordon Beckham, 3b
A.J. Pierzynski, c
Paul Konerko, 1b
Jim Thome, dh
Jermaine Dye, rf
Carlos Quentin, lf
Alex Rios, cf
Alexei Ramirez, ss
Gavin Floyd, rhp
Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, cf
Dustin Pedroia, 2b
Victor Martinez, c
Kevin Youkilis, 3b
David Ortiz, dh
Jason Bay, lf
J.D. Drew, rf
Casey Kotchman, 1b
Alex Gonzalez, ss
Tim Wakefield, rhp

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

-On August 4th, yours truly penned an article criticizing the Red Sox for not trading Clay Buchholz for Roy Halladay. Since that time, the former Lowell Spinner has hurled gems in losing causes against Yankees ace C.C. Sabbathia and Tigers' stopper Justin Verlander. He then got in the "W" column with a win over Toronto and the aforementioned Halladay.

Let's hope Buchholz keeps making a fool out of me. And let's hope I didn't just jinx Monday night's start against the White Sox.

-I'll say it again. Terry Francona is the best manager in modern day Red Sox history. Other than a sometimes stubborn loyalty to struggling veterans, he generally pushes the right buttons, even if the strategy doesn't always work out.

However, leaving Josh Beckett in to toss 120-pitches on a muggy Sunday night against the Yankees was a mistake. Boston's ace had already been tattooed more often than a rebellious 18-year old. There was nothing to be gained by sending him out for another inning when those pitches could be put to better use in a future start.

In fact, Tito stuck with Beckett too long the previous start against Toronto, when it was clear the big righty simply didn't have it. At some point between the 8th line drive to the warning track and the 14th, you'd figure a call to the bullpen would have been in the offing.

(With any luck, we've now reverse jinxed Beckett back to the Cy Young form he displayed from May through early August)

-How funny is it to hear Tony LaRussa say John Smoltz was tipping his pitches in Boston, accounting for why he was getting lit like a wildfire in Athens?

Smoltz couldn't have pitched worse for the Sox if he'd been placing the ball on a tee, never mind tipping pitches. Whatever success he has in St. Louis will come solely because he's moved from the American League to the National League. (Or in the case of the pathetic Padres lineup Smoltz beat, the minor leagues)

If the Cards get to the World Series and LaRussa trots the ancient righty to the mound, he's going to make one lucky American League manager a very happy camper.

-Memo to Vince Wilfork: stop complaining about the lack of movement in your contract negotiations. It won't do any good.

You're done here. Your replacement, Ron Brace of Boston College, has already been drafted. If Bill Belichick wanted to give you the money, he'd have already done so, as he does with every player approaching a contract year. They either get the money early or they get the money elsewhere. You're going to have to settle for getting yours elsewhere.

Play your tail off. Continue clogging the middle. Pray you stay injury-free. Hopefully be a main cog in a Super Bowl winning defense. The Benjamins will follow, wherever you end up.

(And if doesn't step it up and soon, the Benjamin Watson might follow you out of town, too!)

-In the spirit of "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all," I'm not going to waste another column inch on Brett Fraud....I mean, Favre. (Honest, I tried!)

That's the view from here...how do you see things?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The beat goes on for former Boston Celtics guard Kedrick Brown, and the beat now has an international flavor.

Brown signed to play in Turkey for Borova BLD in 2009-10, according to the website ProBasketballNews.com.

Boston selected Brown, a Louisiana native, with the 11th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft out of Okaloosa-Walton Community College. The 6-foot-7 222-pound guard played for the Celtics from the 2001-02 season until 21 games into the 2003-04 season when he was traded to Cleveland.

He played a total of 143 games (36 starts) between 2001-02 and 2004-05 with career averages of 3.6 points and 2.4 rebounds rebounds per game. Brown posted averages of 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds for Boston prior to being traded in 2003-04 as part of the deal that brought Ricky Davis to Boston.

He played for Anaheim of the NBA Developmental League in 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

For the love of God, Brett, just go away! Can't you hear retirement calling?

Honestly, I couldn't be happier than to watch Fraud, I mean Favre, flush what little positive remains of his image down the toilet. This guy is an egomaniac of the highest order. Worse, he's a lousy teammate who wants to just show up and play, without putting in the time during training camp to build camraderie with his teammates and do the necessary work it takes to win. It's why his Jets teammates couldn't wait to rip him the second last season ended.

The funny thing is, Favre was actually getting sympathy from his media lapdogs for the way Green Bay treated poor, poor little Brett. How dare the Packers ask that the most important player on the team actually put the team first, make a retirement decision in enough time to allow for an offseason strategy, and actually show up to training camp and put in the legwork necessary to not throw more interceptions than touchdowns.

I'm glad the Pack is finally vindicated, becase Favre has shown what he's really about. Let's see his media cronies defend this latest development!

Oh, and Brad Childress...you just signed your walking papers. You'll be out of a job in January, just like you'll be out of the playoffs! Can't wait to see the faces on Adrian Peterson fantasy owners after he's run the ball all the way downfield, only to have Favre throw a pick in the end zone!

That's the view from here...how do you see things?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Turning up the sports heat on these hazy, hot and humid days:

-No offense, but there are simply too many easy outs in the Red Sox lineup right now (pun intended).

Yes pitching and defense win, but not unless they are accompanied by clutch hitting. You don't necessarily need a reincarnation of Murderer's Row to win it all, provided there are a couple of guys capable of driving in runs when you absolutely, positively have to have them.

Unfortunately for the Sox, Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Kevin Youkilis, Jason Bay and Mike Lowell (when healthy) are struggling in the clutch right now, largely because they can be pitched around in crucial situations. No need to give them anything good to hit when the likes of J.D Drew, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek and the "shortstop du jour" are due up just around the corner.

Am I writing Boston out of the post-season picture? Not entirely, just worried that even if they manage to get there, Josh Beckett won't be able to carry them this time around. Unless of course, he turns into Superman in the batter's box, too.

-I will never again take Tom Brady for granted.

Sure, it was only one exhibition game. And I'm still not sure what, if any effect the knee and the marriage will have on his psyche. What I do know is that when Brady perfectly placed a 30-yard sideline pass between two defenders and right into Randy Moss' hands (while Moss was in full stride, no less) the other night against the Eagles, I was reminded what makes #12 the best in the game.

Brady has completed that difficult pass countless times since 2001 and I'm afraid we won't fully grasp what we had until he's gone.

-While we're on the gridiron, let's lay off Michael Vick.

He did the crime. He did the time. Now he deserves a second chance to get his life in order. If he was Mike Vick the taxi driver, he'd be left alone to make a living. Instead, Michael Vick the Quarterback is the subject of protest groups thinking a jail sentence and a commitment to becoming a spokesperson against animal abuse aren't enough.

Here's hoping Vick is serious about turning his life around. And here's hoping some of these animal rights activists become more active when other criminals are set free in society with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

-Finally, is Tiger Woods' aura of invincibility gone for good?

I couldn't help thinking that Sunday as Y.E. Yang ventured into the Tiger's den and emerged not only unscathed, but with the big game prize so many of golf's top names have failed to capture when grasping a Tiger by the tail.

It's not so much that Woods struggled in the final round of the PGA (which he did), but the way Yang didn't wilt under the pressure of playing head to head against the unbeatable one. On most similar occasions in the past, Tiger had the heart of a killer, putting away his foes with precision shot after precision shot. Even when that didn't happen, the mere presence of Woods was enough to cave the competition. This time, it was Tiger who blinked and the unknown Yang raising his game to a new level.

For the first time since 2004, Tiger Woods did not capture any of the Major championships. More importantly, the way it went down shows that passing Jack Nicklaus for most Majors won might not be the foregone conclusion it's been thought to be.

That's the view from here...how do you see things?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Former Celtics forward Leon Powe did get a late offer from the Boston Celtics, according to an interview Powe did with HoopsDaily.com.

Powe, who signed the Cleveland Cavaliers this past week, said Boston made an offer after he had give his word to Cleveland that he'd sign with the Cavaliers.

Among the things Powe, who claims to have no hard feelings, shared was that Celtics general manager Danny Ainge suggested Powe look for a younger team.

"He thought I should try to find a younger team," Powe told HoopsDaily.com. "You know there was a little bit of lack of confidence in my ability to come back, and they knew I wouldn't be on the court until February, and you they're trying to win a championship, you know. So I told my family once Cleveland made their offer, and that was that."

Hideki Okajima and Ramon Ramirez finished up for Beckett, and the Red Sox beat the Tigers for the third straight night, 8-2. Beckett (14-4) became the first pitcher in the majors to win 14 games in 2009. Jason Bay went 3-for-3 with two walks, two doubles, a homer, two runs, and two RBI.

Armed with a comfortble seven-run lead, Beckett started letting the Tigers put the ball in play after the fifth inning. In the seventh, with Beckett working on a one-hitter, Marcus Thames put a ball out of play, launching his 13th homer into the Monster Seats and trimming the Red Sox' lead to 8-2. Guillen followed with a single, but Beckett induced Magglio Ordonez to rap into a double play and end the inning and his work for the night.

The Red Sox staged another two-out rally in the fifth and broke the game open. Bay lashed a two-out double off The Wall in left-center -- his second hit of the game, giving him two straight multiple-hit games but only his fourth since June 23 -- and David Ortiz lined a single to center. Freddy Dolsi relieved Miner, and Lowell blooped a ball over the mound that he beat out for an infield hit -- his third hit of the game -- that scored Bay.
J.D. Drew walked to load the bases, and Casey Kotchman lined a single to center to make it 5-1 and keep the bases loaded. Jason Varitek drew a walk to force home Lowell, and Drew scampered home on a passed ball by Alex Avila. Nick Green then reached on a throwing error by third baseman Brandon Inge, making the score 8-1, before Dolsi finally recorded his first out of the inning by fanning Jacoby Ellsbury.

Josh Beckett, looking for his major league-leading 14th win of the season, retired the first 12 batters he faced and took a no-hitter with five strikeouts into the fifth inning. But Carlos Guillen whacked Beckett's first pitch of the inning into the Red Sox bullpen for his third homer, cutting the Red Sox' lead to 3-1.

Jason Bay, who hit only two homers in a six-week period from June 24 through Aug. 4, homered for the third straight night off Tigers pitching in the third inning. Dustin Pedroia slapped a two-out double to right before Bay connected for his 24th homer of the season, upping the Red Sox' lead to 3-0.

Mike Lowell, subbing for suspended Kevin Youkilis at third base, clubbed his third homer in two nights and 14th of the season leading off the second inning, staking the Red Sox to a 1-0 edge over the Tigers. Righthander Zach Miner, who lost the first game of this series in relief, was subbing for Armando Galarraga, who showed up at the park ill today.

Kevin Youkilis and Detroit Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello were both suspended for five games by Major League Baseball for their parts in a benches-clearing melee last night. Porcello appealed his suspension but Youkilis decided not to appeal and begins serving his suspension tonight.
Porcello was suspended for deliberately throwing pitches at both Victor Martinez -- whom he missed -- and Youkilis, whom he hit in the back. Youkilis charged the mound and threw his batting helmet at the Tigers rookie.
Mike Lowell, who hit two homers after pinch running for Youkilis last night, starts at third base for the Red Sox tonight while Casey Kotchman plays first base.
The starting lineups for tonight's game as the Red Sox seek their third win in a row following a six-game losing streak:
Tigers
Curtis Granderson, cf
Placido Polanco, 2b
Clete Thomas, lf
Marcus Thames, dh
Carlos Guillen, 1b
Magglio Ordonez, rf
Alex Avila, c
Brandon Inge, 3b
Adam Everett, ss
Zach Miner, rhp
Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, cf
Dustin Pedroia, 2b
Jason Bay, lf
David Ortiz, dh
Mike Lowell, 3b
J.D. Drew, rf
Casey Kotchman, 1b
Jason Varitek, c
Nick Green, ss
Josh Beckett, rhp

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

When Leon Powe returns he may be part of the King James' court.

The Celtics grabbed Shelden Williams and re-signed Glen Davis, and ESPN's Chris Sheridan reported on Tuesday that Powe is expected to sign a two-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers to play alongside LeBron James.

According to Sheridan, Powe traveled to Cleveland to be examined by the Cavaliers medical staff on Tuesday.

Powe's contract with the Celtics expired at the end of the this season, while Powe was in the midst of recovering from tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee.

The 6-foot-9 240-pound University of California product came to Boston as part of a draft night deal with the Denver Nuggets in 2006. He sat out the 2004-05 season at Cal after a pair of knee surgeries.

He suffered a strained right knee against the Chicago Bulls in March, and missed 13 games before. He returned for the end of the regular season and played in the playoffs with a knee brace.

Powe tore the ACL in his left knee in Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs against Chicago. He had surgery at New England Baptist Hospital on May 5.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

This year's Celtics will be bigger.

The Boston Celtics announced they've re-signed forward Glen Davis. The contract is reportedly a two-year deal. The move comes on the heels of the Celtics picking up free agent forward Shelden Williams last week.

Davis, who will enter his third year out of LSU this winter, started for Boston in place of Kevin Garnett after his knee injury against Utah in February.

Davis averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in the Celtics' 14 playoff games this season. His return will bolster a frontcourt that had will add Williams and Rasheed Wallace. The Celtics will also be looking forward to a healthy return for Garnett.

Boston's frontcourt:

Paul Pierce, F, 6-7, , 235 lbs.


Kevin Garnett, F, 6-11, 253 lbs.


Kendrick Perkins, C, 6-10, 280 lbs.


Rasheed Wallace, C-F, 6-11, 230 lbs.


Shelden Williams, F-C, 6-9, 250 lbs.


Glen Davis, F, 6-8, 289 lbs.


Brian Scalabrine, F-C, 6-9, 235 lbs.


Bill Walker, G-F, 6-6, 220 lbs.

Papelbon retired the Tigers in order in the ninth, striking out one, to notch his 28th save and preserve the 6-5 victory that ended the Red Sox' six-game losing streak. Coupled with a 5-4 loss to Toronto by the Yankees, the Red Sox crept to 5 1/2 games of the top spot.

The Tigers threatened to tie the game and perhaps even take the lead in the top of the eighth. Ordonez led off against Ramirez with a double off The Wall in left center, and Inge was hit by a pitch. After Laird bunted the runners into scoring position, Ramirez struck out Everett for the second out. Jonathan Papelbon came out of the bullpen and got Granderson to foul out and end the threat.

Having played longball all night with little to show for their efforts, the Red Sox untied the game in the bottom of the seventh by playing some smallball.
Drew led off the inning against Zach Miner by singling, and one out later Terry Francona employed the hit-and-run play he rarely uses. With Casey Kotchman at the plate, Drew lit out for second, and both of Detroit's middle infielders went to cover the bag. Kotchman threaded a single between them, sending Drew to third, from where he scored on a sacrifice fly by Green to put the Red Sox back on top 6-5.

Manny Delcarmen relieved Penny at the start of the seventh and wasted little time giving up two runs that tied the game at 5-5. Gerald Laird opened the inning with a double and was bunted to third. Delcarmen struck out Curtis Granderson, but Polanco kept fighting off Delcarmen's off-speed pitches until he got a fastball to rope into right field and make it a 5-4 game. Marcus Thames then hit a ball high off The Wall for a double that scored Polanco with the tying run.
After Delcarmen issued an intentional walk to Miguel Cabrera, Ramon Ramirez took over and got Carlos Guillen to pop up for the final out.

Rookie lefthander Fu-te Ni took over for Jackson, who threw 104 pitches in four innings, in the fifth. Jason Bay hit a one-out pop fly just inside the foul pole in left for his 22nd homer but only his second since July 7, pushing the Sox' lead to 5-3.

The Tigers nicked Penny for another run in the fifth, slicing the Red Sox' lead to 4-3. Curtis Granderson led off with a double off the Green Monster, moved up to third on a groundout by Placido Polanco, and trotted home on a sacrifice fly by Marcus Thames.

The Tigers answered against Brad Penny in the fourth. Penny hit Miguel Cabrera with his first pitch of the inning, and one out later Magglio Ordonez drilled a triple into the right-field corner. Brandon Inge singled, and Ordonez scored to cut the Red Sox' lead to 4-2.

The Red Sox doubled their lead in the second. Nick Green blasted his sixth homer of the season, again on a 3-and-2 pitch, over the Monster Seats leading off the inning. Ellsbury singled and stole his 51st base.
After Jackson fanned both Pedroia and Victor Martinez, shortstop and former Lowell Spinner Adam Everett made a terrific diving play to his left to knock down a line drive off the bat of Youkilis. Youkilis was credited with a single, but Ellsbury had to rein up at third.
Not for long. Slump-ridden David Ortiz ripped a single to right to make the score 4-0 but was nailed rounding first base too far for the final out.

Enjoying all the comforts of home following an 0-6 road trip, the Red Sox struck quickly against Edwin Jackson, who took a 2.52 ERA into the game but has never won a game at Fenway Park. Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a double into the left-field corner, and Dustin Pedroia launched a 3-and-2 pitch into the Monster Seats for his ninth homer to put the Red Sox ahead 2-0. But the Sox missed an opportunity for an even bigger inning. Singles by Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew and a walk to Jason Bay loaded the bases with two outs. But Casey Kotchman lined to second to end the rally.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona was asked this afternoon if he was happy to be back home after a disastrous six-game road trip:
"I felt good about coming home until I got to a red light with my window rolled down. Then I felt like going back on the road."

The starting lineups for tonight's game between the AL Central Division-leading Tigers and the slumping Red Sox, who have lost six in a row:
Tigers
Curtis Granderson, cf
Placido Polanco, 2b
Marcus Thames, lf
Miguel Cabrera, 1b
Carlos Guillen, dh
Magglio Ordonez, rf
Brandon Inge, 3b
Gerald Laird, c
Adam Everett, ss
Edwin Jackson, rhp

Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, cf
Dustin Pedroia, 2b
Victor Martinez, c
Kevin Youkilis, 3b
David Ortiz, dh
J.D. Drew, rf
Jason Bay, lf
Casey Kotchman, 1b
Nick Green, ss
Brad Penny, rhp

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Barking out a few quick signals during these dog days of August:

-There's a lot of woofing going on at Patriots camp over Patrick Chung, the rookie Defensive Back out of Oregon who is generating rave reviews. There's a definite need at the position, and Chung might just be the guy to eventually replace the departed Rodney Harrison.

-Nice acquisition in Derrick Burgess, by the way. The pass rushing specialist fills a need at linebacker and will help pressure opposing Quarterbacks, a must with so many young defensive backs apparently headed for prime roles in New England's secondary this season.

-Were there really Patriots fans who believed Michael Vick was coming to Foxboro?

What did they think Bill Belichick would do with him? Use him at running back? Play Tom Brady and his rehabbing knee at split end while Vick took a snap in some trick formation?

Then again, this disbelief comes from a guy who said Randy Moss wasn't a Belichick type player, so who knows?

-After the 2005 season, the Red Sox decided Johnny Damon wasn't worth $13-million a year over 4-years. After failing to make the playoffs, they tried to compensate for the mistake by giving J.D. Drew $70-million over 5-years.

Since Drew put on his Red Sox to start the 2007 season, the supposed power hitter has 42-home runs and 171-RBI's. In that same time span, the supposedly washed up Damon has 50-homers and 199-RBI's.

File this under: The devil you know is better than the one you don't!

-I guess it's entirely possible that David Ortiz wasn't using steroids, and that the positive test in 2003 was the result of "careless" use of supplements.

Riddle me this though, Batman: Why wouldn't Big Papi just come out from Day 1 and deny ever taking or buying steroids, just like he did over the weekend? Didn't he know that when the news broke? Or could it be he was told wait and see what caused the positive test before admitting to anything?

Sorry Papi. This one fails the stink test!

-Glad to see Big Baby Davis back in Celtics green. The C's could use as many young bodies as possible to ensure that Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace stay fresh and healthy for the playoffs. Davis can continue to learn and grow in practice, beat up opposing big men during the regular season, then sit and watch a rested KG and Sheed lead the way come the playoffs.

-I'm extremely pumped that the Bruins are playing an outdoor game at Fenway Park against the Flyers. However, I'm a little annoyed that the announcement is the high point of the offseason thus far.

Hey fellas...you made major inroads in '08-'09. How about doing a little something now to get over the hump and bring the Stanley Cup back to Boston?

That's the view from here...how do you see things?

Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Spreading some love, Captain and Tennille style, over Red Sox Nation:

-I Love the Victor Martinez acquisition.

The catcher/first baseman is a legit middle of the order threat who loves hitting at Fenway, and the price tag wasn't unreasonable. If all breaks right for him, Justin Masterson might become Derek Lowe.

Who knows what the future ceiling is for Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price. But trading three decent prospects, even if they're all former Lowell Spinners, isn't an unreasonable price to pay for something you absolutely need to win a title.

However, the need to make the deal highlights the mistake made in not going the extra mile to acquire Mark Texeira this past offseason. One way or another, you have to pay for talent. Whether it's with green paper or green prospects, you have to give something to get something.

Wouldn't it have been better to pay Texeira and plop him in the heart of the Sox order for the next half decade or so AND keep the three prospects for other use, instead of making a trade out of necessity halfway through the season?

-You have to love the hypocrisy of some Red Sox fans.

We mocked Yankee Yahoos (rightfully so) for goading Jason "HGH" Giambi into curtain calls. We expressed amazement at Dodger Diehards (rightfully so) for giving Manny "Fertility Drugs" Ramirez a standing ovation upon his return. Yet, David "I didn't know I tested positive" Ortiz gets a curtain call on the same day we confirmed he tested positive for performance enhancing drug use in 2003?

Come on folks! If we want to brag about how knowledgeable we are as fans, then let's start acting like it.

Did the news about Ortiz tarnish the Sox World Series titles? No, because our cheaters were only doing what all the other cheaters did. Did the news tarnish Ortiz' image? You betcha! Like it or not, Big Papi's entire career is a fraud.

-I didn't love watching Clay Buchholz get slapped around like a rented mule Sunday. More than ever, I'm convinced the Sox should have unloaded the young right-hander while his value was still sky high.

Other than that September night in 2007 (boy, that no-hitter sure seems like forever ago, doesn't it?), Buchholz hasn't shown the ability to consistently get major leaguers out. That fact probably isn't getting lost on scouts who might have been fooled by the former Lowell Spinners' dominance at the Triple-A level.

Back in the 90's, Red Sox fans were clamoring for then General Manager Dan Duquette to promote a hotshot Pawtucket prospect. Duquette resisted the urge, and before the Fenway Faithful had a chance to even witness the phenom, traded him as part of a package for Pedro Martinez.

The rest, as they say, is Cy Young and Hall of Fame history. Meanwhile, Carl Pavano never did live up to all the enormous potential.

I'm afraid Buchholz is headed for a similar fate, except that he wasn't kept hidden long enough to bring back a true top of the rotation starter.

That's the view from here...how do you see things?